He got up, wiping his hands on a napkin. "I'll go see who it is. Stay here."
My curiosity got the best of me, and I leaned back to watch as he approached the door. When he pulled it open, I heard a hesitant voice say, "Uh, hi, sorry to bother you. I'm looking for Sienna."
My tummy did a little twirl. I couldn't see who it was, but Dante's posture immediately stiffened.
"And who are you?" Dante's tone wasn't hostile exactly, but there was definitely an edge to it.
"My name's Noah. I just... Sienna left this at the park earlier," the guy explained, holding something out.
Dante didn't move to take it. "And why do you have it?"
There was a pause before Noah responded. "She must have dropped it. I just thought I'd bring it back."
"And how did you find this address?" Dante shot at him.
By this point, I had moved closer to the door, curiosity winning out. When I saw Noah standing there with my scarf in his hand, I felt a surge of embarrassment. "Oh! I didn't even realize I left that behind."
Noah's face brightened when he saw me. "Yeah, you must have dropped it when you were leaving. Thought you might need it."
Dante cut in before I could respond. "I asked you a question mister, how did you even get in?" he asked again. "Those security men at the gate must be tired of their job" he mumbled angrily.
Noah looked taken aback, and I shot a glare at Dante. "Thank you, Noah," I said pointedly, ignoring Dante's looming presence. I reached out to take the scarf, but Dante beat me to it, snatching it from Noah's hand.
"Next time, just leave it at the park office," Dante said coldly.
Noah looked between the two of us, obviously confused. "Right. Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."
I couldn't believe how rude Dante was being. "Noah, it's fine.Thanks again," I said, trying to soften the tension around us.
With a nod and slight smile, Noah gave a small wave and left. I watched him go, barely resisting the urge to call him back and apologize. When I turned back to Dante, he was still standing at the doorway, jaw tight and eyes dark.
"What the hell was that?" I snapped.
Dante turned, slamming the door with more force than necessary. "What was what?" he snapped back.
"The way you talked to Noah! He was just being nice."
Dante scoffed. "Nice? After what we've been through, you think he's just being nice? Knowing the home address of a stranger you just met doesn't in any way seem odd to you?"
I threw my hands up in frustration. "Oh, come on! Like you said, we can't go about thinking everyone is out to get us. That will only drive us both insane, you're being difficult now."
His glare didn't waver. "You don't know his intentions."
"And you do? You don't even know him!"
"You don't know him either." Dante yelled
Dante crossed his arms, his voice dropping to a low growl. "I'm not claiming to know everybody's intentions, I'm just trying to look out for you, to protect you, Sienna."
I couldn't believe this. "This isn't about him, is it? You're just jealous."
Dante's eyes flashed with something—anger, frustration, maybe both. "Jealous? You think that's what this is?"
I didn't back down. "Yeah. That's exactly what it looks like."
He stepped closer, his expression cold and resolute. "Listen, Sienna, whatever you think this is between us—don't get confused. I'm not jealous. I'm just trying to make sure you're safe. I am responsible for you, and your safety is at the top of my list of priorities, especially with all that has happened. I'm not your lover, and I'm definitely not in love with you. This... thing between us is just an agreement. I made that clear from the beginning, so if you're thinking otherwise, you might want to think again," he said, his ego obviously unharmed.
His words hit like a slap, and I felt my chest tighten. "I never asked you to care. You're the one acting possessive."
Dante didn't falter. "I'm protective because I don't want anything to happen to you. That's not the same as jealousy. I don't want you to misinterpret my intentions. I'm not here to be your savior or your lover. I'm just doing what I promised—taking care of you and the baby. You need to remember that this arrangement isn't about feelings, it's just practical. I won't develop feelings for you. That's not how this works."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying not to let his words sting too much. "I don't care about what you do or don't feel, I know what this is." I said, though I wasn't convinced by my own words. I sighed, "Just don't go about being a jerk to everyone just because you think you're trying to protect me."
He seemed to hesitate, like he wanted to say something more, but instead, he just exhaled sharply. "Maybe you don't understand, but this part of life is a different ballgame entirely and whether you like it or not, I will do everything I have to do to protect you. I won't be held responsible if you decide otherwise."
I shook my head, not wanting to argue anymore. "That's your cross to carry, I don't care."
Silence hung between us, tense and uncomfortable. I didn't feel like eating anymore. Instead, I just walked past him, retreating to my room, trying to process why his words stung so badly when I knew I shouldn't care. I slammed the door behind me and immediately dropped to the ground, broken and in tears. I hated that I felt every single word he said dash against my heart. The hurt was extreme, a pain I could feel physically in my chest and I hated it. I hated how he affected me so much. I wiped my tears with the back of my palm, "I don't care. I don't care." I said repetitively, almost like reciting a slogan to convince myself.